Cartier customer data stolen in latest cyber attack

Luxury jewellery company Cartier has notified customers that its website was hacked, resulting in the theft of some client information.

In an email to customers on Tuesday, the company, owned by Richemont, said that "an unauthorised party gained temporary access to our system."

Cartier, whose watches, necklaces, and bracelets have been worn by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, and Michelle Obama, said that "limited client information” was taken, including names, email addresses, and countries.

"The affected information did not include any passwords, credit card details or other banking information," Cartier said.

The company said the issue had since been contained, and it had further enhanced the protection of its systems and data. It also informed the relevant authorities and is working with "leading external cybersecurity experts."

Cartier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The attack is the latest case of a company being targeted by cybercriminals.

British retailer Marks & Spencer said last month that a "highly sophisticated and targeted" cyberattack in April will cost it about £300 million in lost profits.

At the time, experts encouraged potentially affected customers to be particularly wary of phishing scams, where criminals pose as official businesses in an effort to get personal and financial information from their victims.

French luxury house Dior, owned by LVMH, also reported last month that hackers had stolen data from its customers, but insisted no financial data was involved, according to Le Monde newspaper.

Fashion brand The North Face, owned by VF Corporation, has also emailed some customers, saying it discovered a "small-scale" attack in April this year.

The company told customers the hackers used "credential stuffing", trying usernames and passwords stolen from another data breach in the hope customers have reused the credentials across multiple accounts, the BBC said on Tuesday.

London department store Harrods also said last month that hackers had attempted to break into its systems, following incidents at Marks & Spencer and the Co-op Group.